Telephone Interpretation

Telephone Interpretation

24-7 Language Services allows you to communicate in virtually any language or dialect from around the world, as soon as you need it. With a large bank of interpreters available rapidly by telephone, if you have an urgent interpretation request, we can help.

The great advantage about telephone interpreters is that we can connect you to someone who can break down the language barrier, no matter wherever you may be. Whether you’re in a business meeting, a police station or at the hospital, a telephone interpreter can be on hand right away to smooth communication.

Understanding more about telephone interpretation

Telephone interpretation is exactly what it sounds like: the provision of language services over the phone. Our huge bank of interpreters are available to interpret from one language to another, typically managed via a three-way conference call.

Telephone interpretation is an extremely cost-effective way to access interpreting skills and it’s convenient too. When you use an agency such as 24-7 Language Services, you’ll be able to access information in almost every language from around the world in a matter of minutes.

Being a telephone interpreter is a demanding role that requires many skills simultaneously:

1. Listening to the speaker and retaining what they’ve said
2. Instantaneously interpreting the language in their own head
3. Capturing any nuances and the intention of the speech
4. Passing the interpretation on

Simply being good at languages isn’t enough to deliver a top-quality service in telephone interpretation. Here at 24-7 Language Services we expect nothing but the best so our interpreters are highly skilled in all areas.

How telephone interpretation can help

Telephone interpretation is an alternative to face-to-face interpretation but isn’t a weaker substitute. Opting for telephone interpretation means a number of advantages which aren’t necessarily available for other styles of interpretation. Some of the benefits of telephone interpretation include:

Rapid service

When there’s an emergency, it doesn’t always fit in with convenient office hours. Telephone interpretation allows for language services to be provided quickly. If you’re in the police station or hospital and need to find an interpreter without delay, a telephone interpreter can be on the line within a matter of minutes - or quicker.

Greater access

Some languages are much more common than others and finding a local interpreter is easy. However, if you are located more remotely or you’re seeking an interpreter for a less common language, there may not be anyone nearby. Interpreters travel all around the country as required but this can cause a delay if they’re travelling a considerable distance. Telephone interpretation connects you with a linguist wherever you are, and in whatever language or dialect you need.

Privacy

There may be certain times when the physical presence of an interpreter may cause a problem, such as with a female medical patient and a male interpreter, or vice versa. In certain ethnic communities, there may also be a high level of embarrassment of having a third person present, such as during a police interview. Using telephone interpretation enables effective communication but the distance of the interpreter from the physical surroundings removes any potential awkwardness or embarrassment.

Safety

Professional interpreters are called upon to provide services in all types of situations, and sometimes these may be volatile or challenging. The physical presence of the interpreter may escalate matters further or they may simply get in the way, such as in a medical emergency. The telephone allows interpretation at a distance without increasing the risk.

Impartiality

As described above, interpreters have to draw upon a number of different skills in order to provide accurate and effective translation. It’s therefore important to be able to focus on the speech and not be distracted by anything else. In scenarios where the content is difficult, shocking or upsetting, the reactions of the recipients may be quite distracting physically present. Using a telephone interpreter allows the expert to focus entirely on the speech, ensuring a precise and accurate service. 

Why choose telephone interpretation?

Here at 24-7 Language Services we offer a diverse range of interpretation and translation skills, including both face-to-face and telephone interpreting. As can be seen above, telephone interpretation offers a wide and diverse range of benefits but that doesn’t mean it’s right for every situation. For example, when the information being conveyed is particularly complex, long or technical, face-to-face interpreting is generally a better solution. Of course, much depends on the individual circumstances.

However, telephone interpretation is ideally suited to many other situations such as:

• Quick requests that are arranged at short notice
• Where the information being relayed is relatively succinct and/or basic
• The meeting is a simple exchange of data rather than a long discussion
• Medical appointments, due to brevity and confidentiality
• Any small-scale work where traditional interpretation costs could be prohibitive

There are many scenarios which work perfectly with telephone interpretation, allowing you to access the linguistic skills necessary at a very competitive price. With telephone interpreters, short slots without any travel means it’s extremely affordable even for small-scale requests.

Our telephone interpreters

We expect our telephone interpreters to have the same degree of professional skills and fluency that a face-to-face interpreter has. This allows us to deliver the expected levels of quality, precision and accuracy for telephone interpreting as the work done when physically present.

Our interpreters speak a native foreign language, and sometimes more than one, as well as being fluent in English. Fully cleared with a CRB check and a proven track record in delivering an outstanding interpreting service, all of our telephone interpreters are simply top-class.

Get in touch today

To find out more about our telephone interpretation or to book an appointment, simply fill in our online enquiry form or call our Bookings Team on 01923 827 168 who will be very happy to assist with your telephonic interpreting requirements.